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CVRD's Power Draws Enemies

Customers Aim to Check
Explosive Growth of Brazil Miner

By

Geraldo Samor Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated Aug. 9, 2005 12:01 a.m. ET

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazilian mining conglomerate Companhia Vale do Rio Doce is one of Latin America's most-powerful corporations -- and one of its richest. As one of the world's largest mining companies by market value, CVRD is bigger than commodity-industry icons such as aluminum giant Alcoa Inc., owns railways at the heart of Brazil's logistics and even backs social programs supporting a range of issues, including literacy and sex education.

But some of CVRD's customers are complaining that the company is using its size...